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Dave Hardenbrook wrote:
> One thing I'm really finding a challenge is when I'm "talking at cross
> purposes" with a customer on the phone, largely because they don't know
> the "techno-talk" and are expressing things based entirely from their
> own non-tech POV, while meanwhile I, locked in my "geekspeak", am
> hopelessly slow on the uptake. This can range from things like the
> client who nonplussed me by asking what the "Doghouse" was for (the
> "Home" button in IE), to the following, my most recent and possibly
> extreme example:
>
> A customer called saying her TV wasn't working. What then followed was
> about ten minutes of my patiently suggesting that she call a TV
> repairman, and her saying things like, "Why? *You're* the computer
> expert, aren't you?", until I finally realized that the "TV" she was
> referring to was her PC monitor!
>
> Does anyone here have any useful tips (or at least amusing anecdotes)
> for preventing phone conversations with clients from turning into a
> Abbott and Costello routine?

There's really no way to fix stupid. Just bite your tongue and have a
laugh after you finish the call. Every experienced tech has their "war
stories."

On Sat, 22 Jul 2006 10:54:36 -0400, Thumper <>
wrote:

>On Thu, 20 Jul 2006 23:42:20 -0400, Kathy <>
>wrote:
>
>>PM wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> There's really no way to fix stupid. Just bite your tongue and have a
>>> laugh after you finish the call. Every experienced tech has their "war
>>> stories."
>>
>>I'm not experienced like some of you here, but I do get the calls. Just
>>wish there was an easier way to explain things to people without getting
>>them too confused - LOL.
>
>
>Don't ever look at the person who called as stupid. They are usually
>very frustrated and may not know much about computers or their problem
>but thinking their stupid is the wrong way to go about things. First
>you should re-assure them that you're there to help and that you CAN
>help them. Then you can explain that just so you can really
>understand where they are in the problem, you're going to start at
>square one and work through the problem.
>You must have called for support at some time and should remember that
>by the time you do call you are REALLY frustrated and sometimes afraid
>that the problem can't be fixed or you will lose data.
>Troubleshooting is a logical exercise and some people's brains don't
>work that way, but YOURS does. So lead them through thing logically
>and patiently and KAZAAM! The trouble will be fixed.
>Thumper

Right...I am right back to my story of the annual visits to the
surgeon's house to program his A/V gear. There probably aren't any
stupid surgeons.

Tom